Let's Talk DanceLet's Talk Dance
Dear Kathryn:
I am trying so hard to choose music for our end of the year recital that is different enough to be interesting, but familiar enough to be fun! Does that sound like a challenge to anyone else? I never knew that choosing music could be so difficult and in the first years of my studio it wasn't. I used all the songs I ever wanted to choreograph to in those first years. I thought my selections were endless. I never considered that I would "run out" of favorites and have to research music for future years. And of course, that does not even address the issue of length, cutting or fading problems, and appropriateness of lyrics. Why do people listen to songs that are 5 minutes long but they can stand to watch a dance that goes past 2 or 3 minutes? Do you have suggestions to make this easier? I am so frustrated, I feel like resorting to the standards like "Lullaby of Broadway" and "Somewhere over the Rainbow." How many times can you choreograph to the same song? Will the parents just grow tired of hearing the same old thing and move their kids somewhere else?
Musically MAD in Indiana
Dear Reader:
First of all, remember that no one ever tires of "Lullaby of Broadway" (I am using an Ella Fitzgerald version this year) and there are hundreds of versions of "Somewhere over the Rainbow!" It really should not be stressful to select music for a recital or concert. I do know what you mean about the overwhelming responsibility of finding just the right piece that serves the needs of the choreographer and the dancer; and it can be exhausting. Thanks to programs like itunes and Rhapsody, music research and purchase is getting less cumbersome and more cost effective for dance teachers.
The "standards" as you call them are, in fact, favorites and so you can always use them and count on them when you are stuck. I find that "Oh, What a Beautiful Morning," "Baby Mine" and "Chattanooga Choo Choo" are always winners! Sometimes dance recitals are the only time the audience hears these classics so keep in mind that you are not boring them. Think of how many times a person is willing to listen to "Canon in D! The Wedding Song" still brings tears to the eyes no matter how many weddings we attend. Some songs just never grow old or lose their power to move the audience.
Speaking of moving...my recital theme this year is The Music that Moves Me! So, it seems easy enough to choose those songs that "move" you to choreograph, right? Not so! I THOUGHT it would be easy but guess what? The music that "moves" the teacher is not always the song that "moves" the dancers (A generational thing, I suppose!) and so the choosing of music has become trickier than we ever imagined. Still I am looking forward to choreographing to music that inspires me to create rather than trying to use music to fit the theme!
I do sympathize about length and overall arrangement of music for dance. If artists only knew what happens to their original track in a dance performance editing session! And you are right, audiences won't sit still for pieces that are too long unless you "train" them to do so. We typically perform our evening recital in themed sections. For instance our modern section last year was 13 minutes long and represented 2 classes plus my solo. It was based on the Civil War Era. It was a favorite of much of the audience as was our Vietnam War section which was over 15 minutes.
The key is to keep the audience engaged! If you are trying to "show the parents what their child learned to do this year" then keep it short and simple because that does get old. Repetition of ballet "skills" or a lyrical dance performed as a collection of "tricks" is only exciting briefly and when performed by the very best dancers. If you are aiming to create a work that is meaningful to you, the dancers and the audience then you must think "outside the box." When the piece is engaging, then the audience can adapt to longer stretches of performance time.
Be careful to note that when the length of the piece is necessary only to serve the ego of the choreographer that too will fail. Doris Humphrey said that all dances are too long. How do you feel as a listener when someone tells you a very long story that has more details than you are able to process? Just like a writer must determine his reader in order to guide the work, so must a choreographer be aware of the "reader." Think in terms of what you are willing to sit through and let that be your guide.
There is so much music out there that has yet to be danced to! Enjoy the research because you might find a piece that speaks to you and will ultimately "move" your dancers and your audience!